Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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Video Transmission S stem
Back r~ ound
This invention relates generally to video transmission systems and
particularly to
systems useful with computer processor-based video receiving systems.
Computer systems may be utilized in connection with television receivers to
provide
more advanced functionalities to conventional television receivers. Sometimes
called set-top
boxes because they may sit on top of a conventional television receiver,
computer systems
may enable the user to receive more functionality and more control over the
reception of
information from a broadcast or other video transmission source. For example,
a number of
electronic programming guides (EPG) may be implemented using set-top boxes
associated
with television receivers. These systems allow the television viewer to select
a show to view
from a graphical user interface and that show may automatically be viewed,
recorded or
identified for later viewing.
In addition, a number of interactive broadcasting systems are available which
transmit
web type content in association with television transmissions. For example,
Intel's Intercast
technology allows information related to a television program to be
transmitted over a
vertical blanking interval, in one example. In this way, the television viewer
may receive
additional information related to the television program. That information may
be stored on
the user's associated computer system for subsequent viewing.
One problem with available systems is that the bandwidth is relatively
limited.
Therefore, the amount of information that can be transmitted, for example,
over the vertical
blanking interval, is somewhat limited.
Thus, there is a continuing need to provide a system which allows users to
receive
more video information given the available bandwidths.
umm
In accordance with one aspect, a method for receiving a video transmission
includes
identifying a tag associated with a first video transmission. Upon selection
of the tag, the
information related to the tag is stored. A second video transmission is
scanned for
information associated with the tag.
Accordingly, in one aspect, the present invention provides
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a method of receiving video transmissions comprising: setting a tag during a
first video
transmission to identify video content selected by a user in said first video
transmission; upon setting of the tag, storing information related to the
selected video
content; and scanning a second video transmission for information relating to
the
selected video content on said first video transmission as identified by the
tag.
In a further aspect, the present invention provides a video receiver
comprising:
an input device adapted to allow a user to select video content on a first
channel; and a
video scanner adapted to scan a second channel for information related to the
selected
video content on the first channel.
In a still further aspect, the present invention provides an article
comprising a
medium that stores instructions that cause a processor based system to: set a
tag during
a first video transmission to identify video content selected by a user in
said first video
transmission; upon setting of the tag, store information related to the
selected video
content; and scan a second video transmission for information relating to the
selected
video content on said first video transmission as identified by the tag.
In a further aspect, the present invention provides a video transmission
system
comprising: a first transmission device adapted to transmit video information
on a first
channel, said information including segments having tags identifying at least
one of
said segments; and a second transmission device adapted to transmit video
information
on a second channel and including an identifier identifying at least one of
said tags on
said first channel.
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Brief Description Of The Drawings
Figure 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a system for implementing
the
present invention;
Figure 2 is a graphical user interface which may be used in the embodiment
shown in
Figure 1;
Figure 3 is a flow chart for one embodiment of software for implementing the
system
shown in Figure 1;
Figure 4 is a more detailed flow chart for software which may be used, for
example,
to implement an embodiment such as the one shown in Figure 1;
Figure 5 is an additional graphical user interface which may be used in
connection
with the embodiment shown in Figure l;
Figure 6 is a depiction of the video information and associated tags that may
be sent
on two different video transmission channels; and
Figure 7 is a block diagram of hardware for implementing one embodiment of the
system shown in Figure 1.
Detailed Description
A video receiving system 10 may include a television receiver 12, a processor-
based
controller such as a set-top computer 14, and a remote control unit (RCU) 16.
The RCU 16
may include a set of left and right and up and down arrow keys 18 and a
selection key 19
which enables a pointer "A" to be moved across a video display screen, for
example
associated with the television receiver 12. In this way, the cursor or pointer
A may be moved
using the arrow buttons 18 and various selections may be made on associated
graphical user
interfaces using the button 19. The RCU 16 may also include a plurality of
keys 20 to enable
other user selections such as channel selections. The button 20a allows the
user to set a tag to
implement features to be described hereinafter. Of course, the system shown in
Figure 1 is
only an example of one embodiment and should not be considered as limiting the
invention in
any way.
In the course of receiving a video transmission, the user can operate the
button 20a to
set a tag. Initially, a graphical user interface such as the one shown at 22
in Figure 2 may be
displayed in response to actuation of the button 20a in the course of
receiving a video
transmission. For example, in the course of a commercial showing a detergent,
the user could
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operate the button 20a and in response the graphical user interface 22 may be
displayed. The
interface 22 may overlay over the existing display and may be a relatively
small box or
window which does not unduly restrict the viewing of the ongoing transmission.
The user may be asked whether the user desires additional information about a
given
brand of product ("brand X") or about detergents in general. By pressing
either of the "yes"
buttons, the user can select additional information which will be downloaded
to the user.
Otherwise, the user can operate the return field by tabbing, using the arrow
keys 18 and the
selection key 19 as described previously. Again, the illustrated graphical
user interfaces are
by way of example only and should not be considered as limiting the invention
in any way.
Thus, in one embodiment, in the course of a commercial, the user can operate
the
button 20a. In response to the user interface 22, the user may indicate that
yes, the user wants
more information about the particular brand being displayed and yes, the user
wants more
information about the product in general. When each of these graphical user
interfaces are
operated to select additional information, tags are set to control the
subsequent collection of
information for the user.
The software for correlating user selected information with information that
may be
provided at a later time through another channel, is shown in Figure 3 and is
called "video
tag" software 21. Initially, a tag is identified in the on-going video
transmission as indicated
in block 23. A tag is identified when the user selects a given segment or
portion of a video
transmission as one about which the user would like to receive additional
information. The
tag system may be implemented, for example, using script synchronously
transmitted with
the video. A check for user selection of the tagged information is then
undertaken, as
indicated in block 25.
Upon selection, the tag information is stored (block 27). A second video
transmission
is then scanned for information associated with the tag as indicated in block
29. This
scanning may occur at a later time when the information eventually is provided
over a
different channel. The user may then be notified of the acquisition of the
requested
information. In this way, the user can receive additional information despite
bandwidth
limitations. Even though the information may be provided at a later time, the
system allows
the user's request to be correlated to the subsequent transmission.
The software for implementing the tag system, shown in more detail in Figure
4,
begins by checking whether a tag input has occurred, as indicated in diamond
26. In one
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illustrated embodiment, the tag input may be initiated by the user operating
the button 20a
and selecting the "yes" option in connection with a graphical user interface,
such as the
interface 22 shown in Figure 2. Based on the current video transmission that
is being
received, the software determines the appropriate identifiers for the ongoing
video
transmission and stores those identifiers. Thus, the associated identifiers
indicate what
information was being displayed and what the user selected for further
information. These
identifiers could be obtained, for example, from information simultaneously
transmitted with
the television program. For example, that information might be contained
within the vertical
blanking interval.
While the user is viewing one particular channel of video television
transmission, the
software 21 may initiate a scan of another channel which provides additional
information
associated with information on one or more other channels, as indicated in
block 30. If the
identifier which was stored, matches an identifier associated with information
being
downloaded on the other channel, as indicated in diamond 32, a prompt may be
displayed as
1 S indicated in block 34. A match indicates that in fact, the information has
now been received
which matches the identifiers associated with the information the user
desired. When a
match is detected, a screen display or graphical user interface 44 may be
provided, as
indicated in Figure 5. Again, the information may be provided as an overlay
which does not
unduly obstruct the viewing of the ongoing video transmission. Thus, the user
is notified that
the information is available and may be selected, for example, by tabbing to
the block 45 and
pressing the enter key 19.
Refernng again to Figure 4, upon a match, information from the other channel
is
stored as indicated in block 36. The user can view the stored information
whenever the user
desires.
If there is no match, the software continues to monitor the other channel
until a given
time period has expired, as indicated in diamond 38. Once the time period has
expired, the
identifier (stored in block 28) may be deleted (block 40) and a screen display
may be
provided as indicated in block 42. This screen display may advise the user
that the requested
information was not received within a predetermined time period and therefore,
the user will
not receive that information.
With the system 10, the user can select information which the user desires and
that
information may be correlated with information which is being asynchronously
downloaded
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on another channel. This provides additional bandwidth for receiving the
related information.
In addition, it provides a way to tie the user's desired information to
information which is
asynchronously transmitted on another channel. Namely, the identifier system
may be used
to determine what information the user desires. By scanning for the
information on the
second channel using the same identifier system, the software 21 may fmd the
associated
information and notify the user when it is received. The additional
information may be
received some time after the user makes the initial selection that he or she
desires the
information. Then when the user is ready to view it, the information is
accessed for viewing
on the user's system.
Thus, in Figure 6, channel one may correspond to the channel that contains
program
information such as a television program which the user views. In the course
of the video
transmission 46 on channel one, a plurality of tags X, Y, Z, A, B, C and D may
be associated
with segments 50 through 62 of the video transmission. These segments could
correspond to
portions of the television program or one or more advertisements which may be
provided in
the course of a television program. Thus, if the user clicks on the button 20a
during the
segment 50, the identifier X is stored.
The identifier X may correlate with information on a second channel, channel
two,
providing a video transmission 48 in Figure 6 having segments 64 through 72.
In particular,
the information corresponding to the identifier X may occur within a segment
70 in channel
two which is displaced in time with respect to the segment 50 that is
associated with the
identifier X in channel one. This is no problem since the identifier X allows
the information
to be correlated, obtained at a later time and stored.
Thus, channel two may contain information in time periods 64, 66 and 68 that
are
associated with identifiers E, F, and G which may have no relationship to
information on
channel one. However, the software may locate the identifier X in the time
period 70 and the
identifier Y in the time period 72 which are associated with television
segments 50 and 52 on
channel one. If the user selected the appropriate tags X or Y in the course of
viewing channel
one, the information in channel two associated with the segment 70 and 72 may
be identified
and stored for viewing by the user.
The head end or transmitter 108, shown in Figure 8, may transmit
asynchronously to a
plurality of receivers 110 using two channels 112 and 114. That is, the
information
associated with the same tag may, for example, be transmitted later on one
channel than on
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the other as explained previously. While a single transmitter 108 is
illustrated the transmitter
may, in one embodiment, include a discrete transmitter for each channel.
Turning now to Figure 7, an example of a system that may be used as a
processor-
based controller 14 is illustrated. The controller 14 may include a processor
74 coupled to an
accelerated graphics port (AGP) chipset 76. The chipset 76 may be coupled to a
system
memory 78 and the accelerated graphics port bus 80. The bus 80 may in turn be
coupled to a
graphics accelerator 82, also coupled to a television receiver 12.
The accelerated graphics port may be implemented in accordance with the
Accelerated Graphics Port Interface Specification revision 2.0, published
June, 1998, by Intel
Corporation of Santa Clara, California.
While the present invention is illustrated in an embodiment using a set-top
computer
system, other computer systems or processor-based appliances may be utilized
to implement
the present invention. The system may be a stand alone unit or it may be
provided in an
appliance such as a television receiver, a cable box or a satellite receiver,
as examples.
The chipset 76 may also be coupled to a bus 84 that couples a TV tuner/capture
card
86. The TV tuner capture card 86 may be coupled to a television input such as
a television
antenna 88 or another source of video transmissions such as a satellite
antenna or a cable
connection.
The bus 84 may be coupled to a bridge 90, which in turn may be coupled to a
hard
disk drive 92. The hard disk drive 92 may have the software 21 stored thereon.
The software
98 may be script transmitted to the system 10.
The bridge 90 may in turn be coupled to another bus 94 which may support a
serial
output interface 96 and a Basic Input/output System (BIOS) 106. The interface
96 may be
coupled to a modem 102, and an infrared interface 104. The infrared interface
104 may
receive infrared transmissions from the remote control 16. The interface 104
may be
implemented in accordance with the standards set forth in the Infrared Data
Association
(IrDA) specifications (such as the Serial Interface Link Access Protocol,
version 1.0, June 23,
1994, which may be found at www.irda.org).
While the present invention has been described with respect to a limited
number of
embodiments, those skilled in the art will appreciate numerous modifications
and variations
therefrom. It is intended that the appended claims cover all such
modifications and variations
as fall within the true spirit and scope of the present invention.
